No Future

No Future

Meticulously researched history of punk rock.

If you ever wanted to know what punk rock stood for and emerged from, pick up this excellent book. No Future covers the punk scene in England and Ireland from 1976 to 1984. It uses material from the time as its source material thus avoiding the pretentiousness of the last punk history I read (http://dianereviewsbooks.com/punk-dead-modernity-killed-every-night). It asserts that, while punk had a DIY ethos, it also was formed out of boredom of the middle-class life that awaited these teens. Punk died as soon as the ‘look’ became more important than the words. No Future calls the late fashionable arrivals to the scene ‘part-time punks’ but in America they were called poseurs or sometimes disparagingly ‘new wave’.

No Future is highly recommended for those interested in the punk era or its music. Even though I listened to the Sex Pistols at the time, I was surprised by the urbanity and foresight of Johnny Rotten’s quotes, which are sprinkled throughout this book. Many of the bands have been forgotten but their music is still refreshing. I suggest that you grab an adult beverage and play each song as it is mentioned on Apple or Amazon Music while reading this book. The music really is the star but No Future will add the historical, economic and political context that makes the music even more enjoyable. 5 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Cambridge University Press, and Netgalley for an advanced review copy. No Future was published October 27, 2017.

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